Why should I do a vehicle check?

1 in 4 vehicles have a hidden history. You wouldn't buy a house without a survey, so why buy a car without using a vehicle checker? Vehicle checks, also known as car reg checks or vehicle provenance checks, reveal details about a vehicle's background that the seller might not know or not want to tell you.

Outstanding finance

1 in 4 of the 30 million cars on UK roads have outstanding finance, also known as debt: HP, lease, PCP or bill of sale. They are usually owned by the finance company, not the driver, and can be repossessed. It is therefore vital to check the finance status.

Stolen

Is a vehicle listed as stolen? This is probably our most valuable check because buying a stolen car is a nightmare. You will be stopped by the police and then left massively out of pocket when they seize 'your' new car.

Written off

It is essential to establish if a car has been involved in a serious crash. Leaving the safety aspect aside, previous write-offs should generally cost a lot less than a like-for-like non-accident damaged vehicle.

Start your research with a free Vehicle Factsheet

Perfect if you're just curious about a vehicle, you want to clarify some facts or still short-listing potential vehicles to buy. Our free Vehicle Factsheet is a great cost-saver before carrying out a comprehensive vehicle check. It includes:

MOT History

Find out if the vehicle has a current MOT certificate, any historic MOT test results, plus the mileages recorded at each MOT test.

Tax Status

Find out how much it costs to tax the vehicle, plus if road tax is up to date or if the vehicle has been declared as off the road (SORN).

Description & Valuation

Find out basic information about the vehicle such as make and model, engine size, year, colour, fuel BHP and CO2 emissions, plus the current market valuation.